CHARACTERS: 
the Medici, when they finally spb- 
verted the liberties of their coun- 
try, suffered to be mutilated and 
destroyed. ‘ 
From Florence he was invited 
back to Rome by Julius Lf. on his 
accession to the papal seat. That 
pope, who patronized the arts better 
than his successor, because he un- 
derstood them better, gave Michel 
Angelo an unlimited commission to 
make him a mausoleum. 
_ ‘© Having received full powers, 
Michel Angelo commenced a design 
worthy of himself and his patron. 
The plan was a parallellogram, and 
the superstructure to consist of 
forty statues, many of which were 
to be colossal, interspersed with 
ornamental figures and bronze bas- 
so-relievos, besides the necessary 
architecture with appropriate deco- 
rations, to unite the composition in 
one stupendous whole. 
‘¢ When this magnificent design 
was completed, it met with the 
pope’s entire approbation, and- Mi- 
chel Angelo was desired to go into 
St. Peter’s to see where it could 
be conveniently placed. At the 
west end of the church, Nicolas V. 
had, half a century before, begun a 
new tribune, but the plan had not 
been continued by his SUCCESSOFS 3 
this situation Michel Angelo thought 
the most appropriate, and recom- 
‘mended it to the consideration of 
his holiness. He inquired what ex- 
pence would’ be necessary to com- 
- 
833 
to which Michel Angelo 
answered, ‘a hundred thousand 
crowns.’ ‘It may be twice that 
sum,’ replied the pope; and imme- 
diately gave orders to Giuliano da 
Sangallo to consider of the best 
means to execute the work. 
‘¢ Sangallo, impressed with the 
importance and grandeur of Michel 
Angelo’s design, suggested to the 
pope that such a monument ought 
to have a chapel built on purpose 
for it, where situation and light and 
shadow might be so attended to, as 
to display every part to advantage ; 
at the same time remarking, that 
St. Peter’s was an old church, not 
at all adapted for so superb a mau. 
soleum, and any alteration would 
only serve to destroy the character 
of the building. ‘The pope listened 
to these observations, and to avail 
himself of them to their fullest ex 
tent, ordered several architects to 
make drawings for that purpose ; 
but in considering and reconsidering 
the subject, he passed from one im- 
provement to another, till he, at 
length determined to rebuild St. 
Peter’s itself ;* and this is the ori- 
gin of that edifice which took a 
hundred and fifty years to complete, 
and is now the grandest display of 
architectural splendour that orna- 
ments the Christian world.” 
The prosecution of this work was 
suspended by Michel Angelo’s re- 
sentment at being refused admit- 
tance to the pope with marked and 
meant 
plete it; 
‘ 
* To those who are curious in tracing the remote causes of great events to their 
source, Michel Angelo perhaps may be found, though very unexpectedly, to have 
! thus laid the first stone of the reformation. 
to prosecute the undertaking money was wanting 
_of corresponding magnificence ; 
and indulgences were sold to “supply the deficiency of the treasury. 
ce monument demanded a building 
A monk of 
_ Saxony opposed the authority of the church, and this singular fatality attended the 
évent; that whilst the most splendid edifice which the world had ever seen was 
“building for the Catholic faith, the religion to which it was consecrated was shaken 
to its foundation. 
Vox. XLVIII. 
t 
3H 
